Fullerton Mayor Wants To Offer Thomas Family An Apology

The Voice of OC(EA) is reporting here that Fullerton mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva intends to issue an apology to the Thomas family on behalf of the people of Fullerton; and apparently she also wants name a small part of Fullerton after Kelly Thomas, the homeless, schizophrenic man beaten to death by members of the Fullerton police department last July.

What’s the apology for? According to the article, it’s not entirely clear if it’s for the deliberate smear campaign against Thomas to help make the cops look justified in their actions, or for the actual killing itself.

If it’s the former, I guess the apology would focus on the FPD/City totally mischaracterizing as a “fight” the horrible beat down that took place on Thomas; for telling the public that cops had suffered broken bones; for insinuating that Kelly was amped up on drugs and had stolen property on his person.

Of course all that nonsense was pitched by FPD spokesdonut Andrew Goodrich who never thought it necessary to correct any misinformation he had peddled in those first days after the crime, which makes it deliberate, obviously. If this will be the gist of it, then the apology will be nothing more than a repudiation of Goodriches’ sad performance trying to defend the indefensible actions of his union brethren.

Personally, I would be happier with an apology for the murder itself, along with a personal apology from Quirk-Silva to the citizens of Fullerton for helping permit a Culture of Corruption in the FPD during her seven-plus years in office. I guess this ins’t too likely.

An apology may make Q-S feel better, but sincere or not, I think it falls under the heading of too little, too late; still, better late than never, I suppose.

Oh, by the way, Ms. Quirk-Silva is letting the City Attorney edit the “apology” and that’s not good sign.

As to the issue of placing and naming a bench after KT, I think that’s not helpful. But I relish the idea of watching Pat McPension vote to recognize the homeless man who was beaten to death by thugs he personally hired and vouched for.

It would be difficult for Sharon to do so, her being female. But indeed, a certain lack of courage has been demonstrated here. Perhaps the city attorney cautioned her against offering to sincere an apology, for fear of such an apology being admissible in RT’s civil action. But if you truly believe that KT was beaten to death by FPD’s Resident Cowboys, then why would you care?

Yeah, thats it,,now get on your knees,,, thats right,,, KISS IT!! On behalf of the people of Fullerton who are not responsible for Kelly Thomas brutal beating at the hands of the Fullerton Police,,, FUCK YOU!

This has to mean something. More than a fucking bench, more than Kelley Thomas. It has to mean we, in all our self grandizing fault looked up and said: “That was wrong”.

The spririt of what happened has become bigger than the individual, when the three numbskulls get recalled, that will deliver some short term hope for the city, but in 2036, when some kid who is now getting his ass kicked at Golden hills because he’s scrappy, comes home from school and says, this is where I am gonna change things and he runs for council.

It won’t cost a million buck’s that defy’s the purpose. Make it organic. Kelly’s Plaza……

Since our current city council leadership has bankrupted the coffers of Fullerton with its clandestine legal settlements caused by it’s police force’s bad boy behaviors, a statue of Kelly Thomas is too expensive for our town. Using the wisdom and sensitivity usually shown by our civic leaders, I bet our civic leaders will generously pay lip service to their proximate role in the murder of Kelly Thomas by their police force and spray paint eyes,nose and mouth on the “hockey stick” that sits on the lawn in front of ten million dollar face lift facade library.

Yes, the ‘apology’ would necessarily acknowledge some responsiblity for what happened, and we know these goons aren’t big on responsibility. How about the most watered-down, milquetoast ‘statement of regret’ about the death which happened to occur in Fullerton, through no fault of their own blah blah.

Orchestrated? Ya think? Everything she says is orchestrated. Too little too late, indeed.
Get your skirts and pant legs ready for the smoke blowing.
We don’t want an apology from the sssssnake, we want the apology from those denying the truth of Kelly’s death.
She is an idiot.

Yesterday and last night marked another very good milestone in the pursuit for justice for Kelly. I want to thank all of the dedicated, loyal members of Kelly’s Army everywhere that have helped make this happen. Your willingness to never give up really helps keep me going. Together we have forced the City and the Police Department to make significant changes in the way they do business, with many more changes to come. Already these changes have improved the quality of life within the city for not only the homeless and mentally ill, but for all of the citizens and visitors to the city. I will be the first to tell you, we still have a very long road ahead of us. I hope that all of you and many more supporters will stay in the fight until the end.

I received a text message from my daughter Tina last night. She was watching/ listening to the City Council meeting from her home on the Internet in Illinois. I want to thank you Tina for being there and supporting me when I needed it the most. I was losing my composure even before I went to the podium to speak. The text read, “I watched you talk tonight. You did good and I took deep breaths with you too”.

The second time that I addressed the City Council, I requested that now that the report was out, and it did indeed clear Kelly of all of the allegations, I want the City and the Police Department to issue an apology letter in a public forum and clear his name. The second item that I requested was that I still want a street sign and a bench installed at the memorial that will read “Kelly’s Corner”. I received a text this morning as I have on other occasions from Fullerton’s Mayor, Sharon Quirk-Silva. It read “Good morning Ron, again I am thinking of you (she knows that at times I don’t hold it together very well). I will be formally working on an apology letter to clear Kelly’s name. In addition, I have all ready talked to Joe (the City Manager) about formally putting a sign that says Kelly’s Corner and a bench- perhaps the one year anniversary would be a good date to shoot for?? Sending hugs and prayers, Sharon Quirk-Silva.” This is great news for all of us. I look at this as what I have been telling everyone that I want to work with the City to do. Re-build Fullerton. Thank you Sharon.

The last item that I would like to share with you is that the current addition of Orange Coast Magazine has been published. The writer worked with me and other family members and friends for a few months to complete the story. It tells about Kelly’s life, not so much about his death. I’ve been told that it is a really good story.

Thank you all again. Please pass this along as I don’t have everyone’s E-Mail.

Mr. Thomas, as a Fullerton lifer for decades, I hope the FBI does not rest its investigation on Mr. Gennaco’s opinion piece loosely formed from his observations.
I still live in Fullerton and probably always will live here until the end of my life. My personal history and this town’s history are interwoven and I refuse to give up the fight to restore fullerton’s representative government and its police force to an entitity that serves and protects fullerton’s community.
Not until those who corrupted our police force into a gang of thugs, not until those who used their political influence to protect the actions of these thugs and their hideously flawed leadership will I and the good people of fullerton stop fighting for our town’s liberation from the corrupting influnce of McKinley, Jones, Bankhead and now Quirk-Silva

The underlying corruption in our Police force, and it ABSOLUTELY is not confined to two guys charged, or six guys at the scene, or however many back at the station – monitoring-directing, or however many more involved in concocting-distorting “the story” or all the rest involved in “defending” a bloated and thoroughly corrupted phony gang of Union Thugs, and the go along, bought and union dues paid for elected politicians.

BUT, I do not (yet) have the conviction to throw Mrs/ Quirk-Silva into that mix, based on this proposed action, now that I learn that it responds to the direct request from Kelly’s father.

Personally, I don’t know how Kelly’s father can cope with his son’s death under these circumstances. The circumstances of this severe mental illness are just “impossible” and seem to offer prayer as the only option.

Hopefully the thinking about a “memorial” will involve to something more relevant and beneficial to handling this sort of “impossible” mental illness affliction than merely a park bench or an outdoor space.

Let the healing begin. Thank you Mr. Thomas for explaining how this came about, and how it will further OUR desire to begin the process of correcting our city.
Ms. Quirk-Silva is doing the right thing.
Questioning her intentions, sincerity or motives does nothing to salve our suffering. Anger needs to recede and we need to start building.
Let the healing begin.

How can the healing begin when there are other victims in the Community.
No Leadership yet from the FPD and no accountability as of yet..
No wrong doers publicly being kicked to the curb.
The Gennaco report is a Public Relations puff piece.
Who represents the citizens other than Bruce Whitaker?

I agree, Franklin. It will take a long time to heal and it certainly won’t be completed before the trial or before the Recall. All this anger and hate is not helping.

I know several mock The idea of Sharon agreeing to put up a bench but please go back and read Ron’s message, her offer is in response to his wishes, to what he asked for.

It is not the time for scapegoating. If everyone thought Sharon was as bad as the other three then where was the cry to add her name to be recalled?

What I’m saying is, the time for rebuilding starts now. Bitching about the past is done. Fix it and move forward. If you’re not happy with things Sharon or anyone on the council for that matter, is doing then be proactive and work towards resolve.

Sherbear, The reason Sharon wasn’t added is because tony is the one to fund the recall. Not that that’s a bad thing, more to the point that it wasn’t like we all had a choice as to who went on the recall. Unless we /someone did separate recall on their own. I’m not slamming tony as much as I am trying to explain why sharon was in on the recall

Dedicating a memorial to Kelly Thomas at this point in time is premature because the good people of Fullerton, must still take to the streets and protest our city council’s dishonest actions to us and the Thomas family.
a Kelly Thomas memorial should punctuate the FBI’s conclusions derived from its hopefully thorough investigation, the sentencing of Ramos and Cicinelli for the murder of Kelly Thomas, the conclusion of the civil lawsuit against Jones,McKinley,bankhead and other culpable government persons whose actions were the proximate cause of Kelly Thomas murder , the removal of jones,mckinley and bankhead from our town’s government and the city of Fullerton legally forced to pay restitution to the Thomas family. Public testaments to Kelly Thomas should arise after full testimony is forced from our civic leaders’ mouths in a court of law and to the public. h

The Gennaco report is not a snow job but rather a blizzard. A bench? Are you kidding me. The Fullerton Police Station needs the named after Kelly so when the officers show up to work everyday they will be reminded of WHAT TO NEVER ALLOW to happen again.

No way, that would make the cop(s) inside the car seem human which we all know they are not. A much better idea would to be to put a picture of Dick Jonas or Pat McPension on the car. That would really send any and all criminals running for the city line!

At least she shows up…..and you hiding behind that computer…did you show up at last city council meeting? water meeting? mayor walks? emergency city council? Yeah that annoying lady Erin did……where we you? ……..crickets…thought so.at least she shows up…yeah like a boss- because she is ther boss…hello?

140,000 residents , 20 speakers at any given meeting standing against evil, 50-200 protesters on any given protest, maybe 2 have quoted the Bible at the meetings. She has done it all. Cant say much for the so called pillars of the community. Only Wiley Drake showed up from the 500+ supposed churches, no teachers principals fireman city workers police spoke against the murder. Say what you want about Erin. God knows the heart. You got problems pal.

where can homeless people go ?
we need a sanctioned shanty town
a place to be when you dont have a home, rather than hiding in a bush, or waking up to cops saying no sleeping, heres a ticket or a harass or a beeting, . how about a homeless camp. oh ya there is one on the corner of brea and harbor. but somthing more than a bench, a place to be when you cant afford a house..

shanty town, build it youself all are welcome. fullerton for the homeless, rents to dam high anywayze.

No kids go into the library…they have internet on their phones, that was the biggest waste of money…you are soooo right…the kids use the library after hours as a skate park..not to go inside..to read…waste of money

Occupy..let the homless hang out at occupy they want to build utopia, start with being kind to the less trodden……send our homeless to OCCUPY….promote this.and we will see where they stand on humanity..

Sharon Quirk-Silva. You are full of shit. If you want to apologize, apologize about what an idiot you have been with the whole Kelly deal. I am a Fullerton resident, so dont apologize for me. Dont put us all in the same category as you. You should be backing up all your police officers, not all the homeless that have set camp in Fullerton. Everywhere you look there is freaking freaks asking for money. See what you have done. I dont know why you are not part of the recall. You are an ignorant person. I in hell not voting for you when your time is up. So dont apologize for me or I will picking in front of city hall.

See what she has done, after the beating FUllerton came over run with homeless..why because the COPS cant do anything to us now…so who created the problem? Silva, and her sox, or the cops who made this – a free for all – for those-less fortunate…JOhn…Please picket with me in front of city hall,…her apology isnt from me, I didnt do anything..Im with you on that point…city hall after the apology…I will take you up on that offer…and the recall, we are on the same page…so really are we that different aside from our differences with our own moral compass’…if need be I will be beside you with sign…unless your rincon2, and the offer will be off the table.

“you should be backing up all of your police officers” …does this mean that we should be upset with the Mayor for not “backing up” police officers who viciously beat a mentally disabled man to death? How about Officer Mater who destroyed his DAR after a suspicious in custody death at the police station? Should she be backing him up to? How about Officer Rincon who sexually assaulted mothers and daughters in the back of his patrol car? Should she be backing him up also? I hope you see where I’m going with this, however I think your hate has blinded your sense of reason, so I won’t be offended if you don’t.

What I am saying is she does not have the right to throw us all in one group. I dont need her to apologize anything for me. Send your own apology Silva if its that important to you. Just keep the citizens of Fullerton out of it. Where is your respect for your city. Stop following Ron
Thomas like a lost puppy. You are pathetic.

P.S. It took six of you bloated hogs to bash Kelly’s brains in. You might find me a little tougher than a malnourished, homeless dude. It would probably take your whole day shift, if you could do it at all!

after reading this poorly written fiction found in the 26th October 2011 edition of The Voice of the OC, I am not suprised to find this fact
“Santana also announced the formation of the Community Editorial Board, which will showcase the commentary of Orange County’s top leaders in government, politics and the nonprofit sector.

Together, these leaders will hold regular moderated forums aimed at tackling the toughest public policy issues facing Orange County, ranging from social services and health care to infrastructure and crime.

The vision for the Voice of OC Opinion page is to provide an online forum spurring robust debate among community leaders about the issues of the day with an aim toward finding real-world solutions to the toughest issues facing taxpayers and our collective quality of life.

In the coming months, you’ll be hearing often from the following writers:

Rusty Kennedy, Orange County Human Relations Commission”

Rusty Kennedy, friend and colleague of the notorious Pat McKinley who served Rusty for years on his civil rights commission.
It seems Rusty Kennedy’s tentacles extends past his bureaucratic broom closet commission and into the media . After all, Rusty has spent most of his life living in Fullerton and he and his father and now his sister frequently participate in Fullerton’s municipal politics. Rusty’s geographic hisotry makes him the obvious person . on The Voice of the OC, to consult on issues concerning Fullerton politics.
After reading The Voice of OC about mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva’s slap in the face to the Kelly thomas family apology and suggesting a bench named after the disabled man murdered by Quirk-Silva’s town’s police force, the accusation “Longtime opponents of three of the council members used the Kelly Thomas case to help garner signatures for a recall election. ” shows me Quirk-Silva surreptiously lies in the same political bed with McKinley, Jones, Bankhead and Kennedy. Like her fellow city council members,Jones, McKinley, Bankhead, Mayor Quirk-Silva does not represent the interests of Fullerton’s community but the status quo of serving our city council serving themselves perks and pensions at our expense while protecting and funding Rusty’s job as executive director at the Orange County Human Relations Commission to deflect our community’s complaints of police abuses perpetrated by Fullerton Police Department.
But then this is just my conjecture formed from the facts

van get it da artiste :
Mr. Thomas, as a Fullerton lifer for decades, I hope the FBI does not rest its investigation on Mr. Gennaco’s opinion piece loosely formed from his observations.
I still live in Fullerton and probably always will live here until the end of my life. My personal history and this town’s history are interwoven and I refuse to give up the fight to restore fullerton’s representative government and its police force to an entitity that serves and protects fullerton’s community.
Not until those who corrupted our police force into a gang of thugs, not until those who used their political influence to protect the actions of these thugs and their hideously flawed leadership will I and the good people of fullerton stop fighting for our town’s liberation from the corrupting influnce of McKinley, Jones, Bankhead and now Quirk-Silva

I couldnt have even come close to saying it better. 🙂

Except for the few trolls
(a lot of the times they help in their own twisted way)
this blog is the most intelligent, productive, interesting, enlightening, conversation, I have ever seen online. Most of the times, they are informative, but boring, and very short.

“The early Greeks didnt write Obituaries, they just had one question… did he have passion?”

“I am a retired police officer, and I must say that takedown was ridiculous. I can almost guarantee it was the result of a new or fairly new officer having been indoctrinated with training that emphasizes safety procedures without concern for practical judgement. In a sane world that old woman would simply have been disarmed while she was standing up. Teach all the personal safety procedures you want, but the ability to make common-sense judgements is a pre-requisite for the job.”

John Doe is right! Not everyone in Fullerton feels as the few mentally misguided wacks on this blog do.

It was the lack of parenting of the Thomas family that caused all of this. If they had done their job as parents we would not be in this position now . Kelly had to suffer for the inaction of the parents. Ron blames Cathy and Cathy blames Ron. Neither one of them want to accept the responsibility that should be laid at their feet. Kelly had no one to watch out for him. Ron? Cathy? Where were you? Looking to blame each other?

And Quirk-Silva is running scared. She doesn’t have the ability to govern properly or to go against the wrong that is perpertrated against the City, she does not have the ability to make proper decisions for the City. She should resign, now!

Sharon stop being so PC and do what is right. Back your City!!! We are all sorry that Kelly is dead but we cannot bring him back no matter how many times you apologize.

As far as the Gennaco Report, none of you would accept it no matter what it stated so your opinions mean nothing!

The FPD has been vindicated and shown to have followed procedure and was within policy on July 5th. Accept it!!! Support your Police Officers. Their job is to enforce laws so don’t make it more difficult than it already is.

hog wild :
John Doe is right! Not everyone in Fullerton feels as the few mentally misguided wacks on this blog do.
It was the lack of parenting of the Thomas family that caused all of this. If they had done their job as parents we would not be in this position now . Kelly had to suffer for the inaction of the parents. Ron blames Cathy and Cathy blames Ron. Neither one of them want to accept the responsibility that should be laid at their feet. Kelly had no one to watch out for him. Ron? Cathy? Where were you? Looking to blame each other?
And Quirk-Silva is running scared. She doesn’t have the ability to govern properly or to go against the wrong that is perpertrated against the City, she does not have the ability to make proper decisions for the City. She should resign, now!
Sharon stop being so PC and do what is right. Back your City!!! We are all sorry that Kelly is dead but we cannot bring him back no matter how many times you apologize.
As far as the Gennaco Report, none of you would accept it no matter what it stated so your opinions mean nothing!
The FPD has been vindicated and shown to have followed procedure and was within policy on July 5th. Accept it!!! Support your Police Officers. Their job is to enforce laws so don’t make it more difficult than it already is.

Hog wild it appears that the trichina worms in your pork diet have gotten the best of your cerebral function. The FPD has not been vindicated of anything. Gennaco has proven 3 things. One is that a normal service call was placed and that an individual was searched and found not to have been engaged in any criminal activity. And two that the media swallowed the BS tag line and forced it down everyones throat which is what is to be expected in a country that is rushing towards a FASCIST POLICE STATE-just look around and wake up. the third thing he has proven is that no one at Commonwelath building is interested in anything except self preservation. When it becomes legal to start executing citizens in the street that have not had their due process then we can pick this conversation back up. Please leave the thinking to those with an IQ above room temperature and lay off the bacon.

I have to be honest and communicate my disagreement with the sign and bench idea. With apologies to Ron and the rest of the family, my reasons are as follows:

1. The transportation center and the neighborhood to the south are rife with graffiti. At some point, any bench or sign WILL be defaced by depraved punks who think vandalism to a dead man’s memorial is funny. The cameras are not a deterrent and the damage could be permanent if they use an etching tool.

2. I’m not convinced a sign or bench provides any practical benefit for change. Yes, it is a symbolic gesture but as we’ve seen, City Hall and the Fullerton PD need much more to change their behavior.

3. The City will use this as leverage to say they care and are “doing something” to move forward while sweeping our problems under the rug, again. Please Ron, don’t do them any favors!

So, since we are afraid of what some one might think…you dont want a bench, or was it the graffiti, not sure, but instead of every two days when Im at the exsisting memorial, I would like not to sit on the ground, when Iam there, on most occassions I see someone else, who I have met through this tragedy…we sit and chat.. I dont care what it looks like, I want a bench and a sign, and if someone wants to wreck those, so be it, I wont- and the memorial is already there, it exists..why not give Ron a bench, all he wants so he can hear his son yelling” dad dad dad…its ok Im fine!” and if it sound hokey to anyone else- so? Im sensative blow me? this man wants a bench and sign…give it to him…..But understand Vern I get where you are coming from…I get it…give him a bench and call it a day..we have bigger fish to fry.

Johnny D. don’t assume anything. You think just because an individual thinks other than you, that they are wrong, nisinformed, unaccepting, a police officer, and on and on?

Ever think that maybe, just maybe, they are an independent thinker and really believe that way? And not only that, but that there are many others who agree with that line of thinking and just do not wish to verbalize on a blog where people already have a mind set.

I know that a lot of people agree with your way of thinking, but a lot of people agree with my way of thinking also! Whether you like it or not, that’s fact.

Name calling as some of you do to the city council serves no purpose whatsoever. It only shows your lack, your lack of everything social.

“I may not agree with your bumper sticker, but I’ll defend your right to stick it!”

Evrything’s just Shell :
No kids go into the library…they have internet on their phones, that was the biggest waste of money…you are soooo right…the kids use the library after hours as a skate park..not to go inside..to read…waste of money

My kids actually do use the library. Here in the ghetto we can’t afford to buy books for every homework assignment. I am thankful for the library. I do agree with van that we should build a place for the homeless here in fullerton. I am sure plenty of us from Kelly’s army and others would be happy to volunteer if one was built.

***********SATIRE ONLY**************
I have, seek, and will hold my power over Fullerton, AT ANY COST, KILL KILL KILL, half of Fullerton if we must, my dark sadistic nature have TORTURE TORTURE TORTURED, and I will always be a hero to those that kill for me.

Kelly could have stopped fighting any time he wanted. He’s the reason he’s dead. Tragic, maybe. Fight with the cops and bad things usually occur. His “start punching dude” comment tells the story as to his attitude. He wasn’t as crazy as you think.